Reassurance from the Ranks

Earlier this week I asked my children if I should continue to train for the Ironman. I am worried that I am spending too much time away from them, which is giving me feelings of guilt and depression. I asked them each individually and they both smiled and said yes. I asked again if they are sure and if they minded all those times I was out of the house training. Once again, they both said that I should train for the Ironman and that they didn’t mind that I was out training.

I guess these responses reaffirm two things to me. Guilt* is an emotion that you can only give to yourself and I must be doing something right with my children, because they aren’t feeling like I am abandoning them in pursuit of my Kona goal. This is much needed reassurance from the ranks.

Now since my children appear to be all for me training for the Ironman, would I be setting a bad example of I were to quit? It appears based on the comments I occasionally hear from my children that I am now expected to reach Kona. I’ve talked about Ironman and Hawaii for so long now, that this process has become part of our lives. I guess I am stuck pursuing it so as not to come off as a quitter.